SCORE PARTNERS WITH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TO RECRUIT BUSINESS MENTORS

Release Date:

Friday, February 28, 2014

Release Number:

3019

Advisory Date:

Friday, February 28, 2014

Contact:

Michele Arends 605-330-4243, ext 11

SIOUX FALLS - SCORE South Dakota and the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Region VIII, are launching an initiative to attract additional volunteer mentors with business experience to expand confidential small business counseling and training throughout South Dakota.

“For 50 years, SCORE mentors have helped millions of new small businesses start and grow”, said Matt Varilek, Region VIII SBA Administrator. “We strongly encourage more South Dakotans of any age, to join SCORE and help the state’s small business community prosper.”

Volunteering as a SCORE mentor means joining an active national community of 11,000 volunteers who are committed to helping small business owners succeed. SCORE volunteers come from a many different sectors and professions including entrepreneurship, large corporations, military communities and higher education.

“SCORE volunteers enjoy a variety of personal and professional benefits, not the least of which is simply “giving back’,” said John L. Brown II, South Dakota SBA District Director. “Contributing to the success of others, many of them young people with a dream, is often the best reward and helps to make South Dakota a great place to grow a business and a family.”

In South Dakota, SCORE has 36 members and offices in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen serving over 800 clients annually. All SCORE mentoring is done on a no-fee basis.

Since its inception in 1964, SCORE chapters have been serving the small business community with a combination of confidential mentoring and workshops covering a wide range of business topics. The Sioux Falls Chapter presents two workshops twice a year. This year’s workshops are scheduled for April and October and will give attendees the opportunity to spend the day with a group of area business professionals.

For more information on how to become a SCORE mentor, please visit http://www.score.org/volunteer or call the Sioux Falls SCORE office at (605) 330-4243, the Rapid City SCORE Office at (605) 394-1707 or the Aberdeen SCORE Office at (605) 626-2565.